I worked with small kids at summer camps and day cares.
All day, was incessant screaming and yelling, and running and chaos. Except for two things. Nap time, and reading time. Complete silence.
Honestly, reading (to them, or having them read on their own), will keep them quieter than a mouthful of food (because, it turns out, you can bribe your silence with food).
I guess it’s that when you’re reading a book, you already are the center of attention, or maybe it’s because it takes your full attention, and even as an adult it’s a little difficult to hold a conversation while reading.
In “The Once and Future King” Merlin asserts that learning is the thing to do when other fun is not available.
Also, if one learns to read, the other generally struggles to keep up.
If one learns to love reading, the other might spend a lot of time doing the same.
Plus, if they’re being ridiculously loud, you might as well put the struggle to good use. (Teaching is hard. Especially with young, uncooperative pupils.) Two years is a little young for reading sometimes.
Reading could also be a punishment.
Plus, it’s probably more productive than whatever else they were doing.
If you could make a dedicated hour of reading every day, that’s pretty much an hour of blissful peace (and quiet).